WASHINGTON, April 4  Tim Russert, NBCs Washington Bureau chief and moderator of Meet the Press, spoke with MSNBC.com, assessing President George W. Bushs statement Thursday on the Middle East situation. The timing may be right, Russet said, for the presidents call for Israel to halt incursions into Palestinian-controlled areas and withdraw its forces, as well as sending Secretary of State Colin Powell to the region to revive cease-fire talks.

MSNBC: Tim, whats the key concern now?

TIM Russert: I think its the delicate balance that exists in this situation. The president felt that, from both a moral and political perspective, it was time to move. The Israelis have had seven days to deal with the terrorist attacks against the people of Israel. Israelis and Americans have pointed out that in the last 48 hours there have been no suicide bombs and they think that some of the Israeli actions have in fact brought about some results. I do think that the president tried very hard to put forward an even-handed approach.

MSNBC: And the United States will play a bigger role in that?

Russert: The United States is back in the region in a big way. The presidents own personal responsibility now is clearly carved out. Hes sending his top diplomat  Colin Powell. The president understands that his prestige, the prestige of the United States, is now in the balance. Because he realizes that if he wants to continue his war on terrorism globally, if he wants to continue his war on terrorism against Saddam Hussein, he has to bring peace  at least a cease-fire  to the Middle East. Thats why he moved forward. Thats why he talked boldly about Yasser Arafat stepping up or the other Arab nations and why he encouraged the Israelis to begin to limit their incursions.

MSNBC: Would President Bush be calling on Israeli President Ariel Sharon and the Israelis to back off if he hadnt already picked up a phone and spoken to Ariel Sharon this morning?

Russert: Theres no doubt theres been a lot of groundwork laid, over the last three days particularly  Colin Powell, on the telephone, directly with Ariel Sharon and Yasser Arafat and Gen. Anthony Zinni in the region. The president realizes that timing now is such that people on both sides realize this could spin out of control and it was time for the United States to move. The vice president said as recently as two Sundays ago that its only the United States that has both the moral and political power and ability to broker a peace in the Middle East. If we dont, no one else will. The president did give the Israelis time to address the terrorist issues, to try to bring some semblance of relief to their people. The fact is the Israelis were petrified to go out to their restaurants, to the bus stops, to leave their homes, because of fear of suicide bombers. The president gave the Israelis some leeway. Now, however, he believes its time to try to bring people back to the peace table, hoping both the Palestinians and Israelis are fatigued from all the violence and difficulties. Well see if his timing is right, but I repeat, from both a moral and political perspective, he felt he had no longer had any choice but to move forward and to move forward in a bold way.

MSNBC: What was the last straw that made the administration say it had to act? Could it have had anything to do with the pictures coming out of Bethlehem?

Russert: I think there are several factors. One is obviously the pictures of the Church of the Nativity surrounded by Israeli soldier, Palestinians holed up, trying to hide if you will, in the altar of the birthplace of Jesus Christ  more than ironic, the Prince of Peace being used in that regard. Also, the pictures, I think from Cairo, Egypt, and Amman, Jordan  two Arab countries that are friendly to the United States, but with growing demonstrations in those areas. I would think also the fact that the Israelis had begun to stabilize the situation in their mind and stop these suicide bombings.

MSNBC: What are the chances of success?

Russert: I think that with a confluence of all these various pictures and realities, that maybe there is now an opportunity. Maybe now the Unites States could step forward and say to both sides, Stop. Now is the time to put things behind you and at least get a cease-fire that we can kind of build upon, if the president can successfully shift the scrutiny and shift the balance, if you will, of focus to Arafat and the Arabs and say, OK, I stopped the Israeli incursions. Now, you stop the terrorists and come back to the bargaining table and be realistic about what you want. I think it is imperative that the Arab world demonstrate that the crown prince of Saudi Arabias offer is real, is legitimate and is meaningful. And that means that the terrorism has to stop from the Palestinian and Arab side, if in fact the Israelis stop their incursion. Thats what the president put forward. I believe its a balanced approach. Well see if it works.

MSNBC: How does this undermine Americas war on terror right now and is this situation really intertwined with the war on terror? Can we not separate the two, one from the other?

Russert: Its very, very difficult to separate one from the other. Remember, prior to about a week or 10 days ago, Osama bin Laden was Public Enemy No. 1  the world was focused on him and al-Qaida, focused on Afghanistan, focused on the war on terrorism and routing out the cells in the Philippines, Indonesia, Yemen, wherever. Suddenly the worlds attention has moved to the Middle East, that battle, that conflict is center stage along with a debate about is it the Palestinians, is it the Israelis? Whos at fault? A sense of moral equivalency is beginning to resurface. The president wants to readdress that debate and say, Wait a minute. There is no moral equivalency between the United States of America and its allies and the terrorist. So lets try to bring some resolve, at least a cease-fire to the Middle East so we can once again refocus the worlds attention on this war against terrorism. And, whos a central player in all this? Saddam Hussein. Its extremely difficult to get the world to focus on Saddam Hussein and his role in terrorism, if people are distracted, if you will, by the crisis in the Middle East between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Its difficult to get the world to listen to the president on Saddam Hussein, even though they know the reality.

Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden gave Arafat a blank check to encourage the morons to blow themselves up with women and children as primary targets. It is not going to end, I looked up baboon in the dictionary and Russert was an example.

Gee Tim, have you noticed how the suicide bombings have decreased to almost zero occurrence since Israel has been in the West Bank? What's wrong with letting them finish the job Arafat has refused to start...specifically, clean house!

"Because he realizes that if he wants to continue his war on terrorism globally, if he wants to continue his war on terrorism against Saddam Hussein, he has to bring peace  at least a cease-fire  to the Middle East. "

And that's why Iraq, Iran, and every terrorist group such as Hammas, El Aqsa, Hezballah, Islamic Jihad etc. will do everything in their power to undermine any ceasefire or negotiations. As soon as there is any progress, one or more of these groups will commit fresh atrocities and derail the process again. They need to be wiped out, period.

You are absolutely correct. Isreal cannot afford to leave this "project" incomplete. Arafat needs to be arrested and held in an Isreali jail to rot forever. Then they need to clear out the Westbank of Palestinians, (no more mixed cities) and erect a wall. Complete separation. My own pathetic nation is calling for Isreal to pull out. As is everyone else it seems. But it occurs to me that it isn't all the rest of us being blown up daily in the streets of our cities, cafes, shops etc. What nerve these world leaders have to interfere with Isreals ABSOLUTE RIGHT to defend herself against unbridled terrorism. You don't negotiate with someone whose main purpose is to annhiliate you. I am angry to say the least.

Israel is now in charge of this situation. They can and must finish the job they have started. Their final move should be to flush out Afarat and the 70 terrorists with him; of course, Afarat should be spared so he can live in shame like his buddy Clinton. As for the other 70, kill them all if possible.

"So lets try...at least a cease-fire ....so we can once again refocus the worlds attention on this war against terrorism. And, whos a central player in all this? Saddam Hussein. ....people are distracted, if you will, by the crisis in the Middle East between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Its difficult to get the world to listen to the president on Saddam Hussein, even though they know the reality."

And, this, IMO is the essence of the president's actions.

Isreal has had 7 days to round up the Palestinian terrorists and the suicide bombings have stopped (for now).---And, Isreal may even be looking for a way out at this point.

It's time to refocus the world on stopping the source of terrorism: Saddam Hussein.

The Israelis have had seven days to deal with the terrorist attacks against the people of Israel.

Right, they get only seven days and we get seven months

Israelis and Americans have pointed out that in the last 48 hours there have been no suicide bombs

And since 9-11 there have been no suicide bombers here, yet we have not stopped our incursion into Afghanistan.

and they think that some of the Israeli actions have in fact brought about some results.

All the more reason NOT to cut them short

I do think that the president tried very hard to put forward an even-handed approach.

I wonder how we'd feel if someone offered us an "even handed" approach with Al Qaeda? I wonder how we'd feel if our friend(?) told us that Osama is not a terrorist, but rather a "partner for peace"? and that we need to stop our incursions in Afghanisan?

This is just an effort to keep the Europeans from stepping in, and making a real mess of things. I'm much more comforatble with Powell there, rather than some Spanish, French, German, etc. idiot making some sort of Neville Chamberlain type of agreement. We may as well get the "credit" as long as we seem to need the Arab sheiks to stay useful fools while we finish our own business in Iraq.

I admit, its not easy watching our President look like he's kowtowing to terrorists for a short while, but any lies he wants Powell to tell Arafat in order to ultimately help our troops in the coming battles is OK with me. I don't worry, any Pallie who even thinks about cooperating with Israel will be shot by the militant ragheads. Sharon is smart enough to keep his troops safe during the "negotiation" period, besides, they probably could use the time to reload for the final battle.

The phenomenon of teens strapping bombs to themselves and blasting as many civilians as they can is patent evil as the now preferred 'weapon' of the terrorists and PLO (terrorists also). This phenomenon must be annihilated immediately, never rewarded, or it will become the 'game of choice' around the world! To negotiate with a people who seek to destroy Israel, to negotiate toward an independent Palestinian state for people who use suicide bombing with their children(!) as their weapon of choice is insane and can only lead to greater use of this demonic 'weapon'. Perhaps in another twenty years (if things continue as now, make that fifty years!) the Palestinian State issue should be raised again (maybe by lovely hatellary clintoon), but as for now, NYET!

The presidents own personal responsibility now is clearly carved out. Hes sending his top diplomat  Colon Powell. The president understands that his prestige, the prestige of the United States, is now in the balance.

No he does not, for if he did, he would never put Our Beloved FRaternal Republic's Prestige and that of his office on the line and especially would not let the appeaser, Colon Powell, anywhere near the islamanazi-Israeli battleground.

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